HAWKE'S BAY EARTHQUAKE
TUESDAY 03 FEBRUARY 1931
NAPIER, HAWKE'S BAY, NEW ZEALAND

Shortly after 10.45am on Tuesday the 3rd February 1931 an earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale struck the Hawke's Bay area on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand. Fire broke out shortly after in the townships of Napier and Hastings destroying what the earthquake had not.

Reports vary to the amount of casualties with either 256 or 258 mentioned. If you have any comments re any of the names on this list please do contact me. PLEASE NOTE THERE IS A LIST OF THE INJURED AT THE END OF THE MAIN LIST.

In November 2005 I received an email from Judith Foy which is rather interesting.

It reads ..."my great-grandfather, Henry SKELTON was in the 65th Regiment during the Land Wars and listed as a veteran. At the age of 93 he was injured in the (Napier) earthquake and dragged out of a building. He was taken by the Navy to Wellington Hospital where he died and was buried at Karori Cemetery (Wellington) on the 6 March 1931. He has no headstone and is not listed on the earthquake memorial. I consider this to be very sad and an oversight. I wonder how many others were taken to Wellington and have not been recorded."

Then in July 2006 I received the following email;
"Hi, I came across your site while looking for some information about my relatives. I noticed that you have listed as a victim of the Napier earthquake one James DURNING. If this is indeed, as I believe it to be, my Great Uncle then he wasn't killed. The story is odd. He was buried for three days and rescued only to find his name listed in the obituary of a local paper. He died a few years back aged over 80. "

Then again in July 2006;
"I have a great uncle who was lost in the Napier earthquake, never to be heard of again. He is not mentioned anywhere either as being found. His name was William OULTON, and he would have been 53 or 54 at the time".

Then in August 2008;
"Although they were not recorded as casualties, twins of David Paul & Molly GINNANEdied soon after being born prematurely at Mangatainoka, as a result of fright caused to the mother-to-be by the earthquake".

Then in August 2011;
Lily (Lilian) JENKINS, who you have on your list as being about 29 years was only 15 when she was killed in the earthquake. She was the sister of my Great-Grandmother. According to my grandmother she was standing in the Napier Post Office when the earthquake hit and ran outside, only to be killed by falling masonry - Mikyla Kelly.

Maybe there were many more victims of the Hawkes Bay Earthquake than were first thought?

There are many books on the Hawke's Bay Earthquake including;
Quake - Hawke's Bay 1931 - by Matthew Wright. 2001. Reed Publishing.
and
The Great Quake - The Story of the 1931 Hawke's Bay Earthquake - by Robert McGregor. 1988.
Regional Publications Ltd.
also a great web-site at - NAPIER EARTHQUAKE.

The official Napier Earthquake Memorial web site includes photos of the memorial as well as 86 names of the 100 buried in the mass grave.

Napier Nurses Home after the earthquake - thanks to Trish Schmitz for this.

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